JBay has had a good run of late. It’s had a pretty good year so far, in fact, with nearly a month of surf while the best surfers in the country were all competing in a 3-week series of surf events in Durban. Those who knew the local calendar and the forecast gorged themselves on perfect and uncrowded Supers until they could no longer do so. And it’s still here.
This swell was there for the Rising Tides program. The swell will continue into the opening day (today) or two of the waiting period. Saturday looks gangbusters. Then, there are enough bumps, winds and swell blobs over the waiting period for all involved to be at peace. BUT, and it’s a big but, the tail end of the waiting period looks way less exciting than the front end. This contest could run off in the first three days, if the winds remain light on Sunday.
In the meantime, the practice sessions have been classy. Windy, a bit lumpy, with warm water and cold air, and crowded as can be expected. However, some trends have been emerging.
Colapinto
Griff is on a mission. Energised, grunty, getting work done at his current office, which is the Supers lineup. High, low, neap tides, west swell 230, south swell 190, gale force offshore, small and on the bricks, blustery devil winds and everything in between. We all know Griff’s format, so no need to expound on his rail game. He’s looking solid, and the vibe on the beach and the boardwalk is that he’s the “main ou.” *
Fiaravanti
Leo may be annoying to some, as his in-water coldness and legendary drop-in skills over the years have been widely recognised. Still, having said that, he has been very fair in the water so far this year at JBay, even a little friendly, and he is on fire at the moment. He must be the fittest surfer on tour, and it shows, especially on a demanding wave like screaming offshore Supers. She’s a brutal fucker to surf comprehensively, to own the wave so to speak, and Leo looks like he is owning it right now.
Smith
Talking of exuding, Jordy is in his most comfortable place ever, exuding zen, smiles and dad-bod charm, but ‘comfort zone’ has been his passive-aggressive and successful form of attack this year. The only thing that can sometimes be irksome about Jordy, as well as Ethan, is that they sometimes make the most critical rail turns, especially on a larger JBay wall, look too easy. Those big, grunty, on-edge drawn out power carves that are best appreciated from an in-water perspective, or on the beach in close-up. Sometimes they are trivialised by a pulled-back front view.
Chianca
The Sneaky Little Sneak award goes to Joao for snaking the most locals, with a unanimous carpark vote. Nothing too foul, just a very serious and dedicated magician-like snaking technique against unsuspecting, at times star-struck South African surfers, who usually turn around and say to themselves, ‘what the fuck just happened?”
Coaches
The Dedicated Coaching Award is a really close one; Luke Egan and Doug Silva have put in the extra hours and become part of the system that is the swarming mass of the best surfers in the world on the best right-hander in South Africa. Both have been pretty cool in the water as well, but Egan (who won DH’s JBay Dream Sequence and a piece of local land in ’91) gets the nod for actually showing genuine interest in the local groms, getting to know them and chatting to them, and not forgetting their names the next day. Silva has been surfing some of the more obscure beachbreak spots 30 minutes south of JBay with Seth, sneaking into a few barrels yesterday in front of us, so he is doing the yards.
Dora
We must also mention Yago for a few waves in amongst the wind and rain that possibly broke every single record for the most turns ever performed on a surfing wave. Not window-wiper repetitious types of turns, but we’re talkin searing on-rail carves, gouges and power cracks in the screaming wind. We’re not sure if there is footage, but those who were watching were officially dazed, and those who were watching and couldn’t do basic math (many people these days) lost track of the number of turns and also became bewildered while trying to do the sums.
Cleland
The Most Likely To Fit Into The JBay Vibe Award is going to Alan Cleland Jnr. He’s the sort of surfer who comes out the water after a high pressure heat, opens up a beer with alcohol in it, lights up a durrie and says something like ‘I’m Mexican’ before going off to play one-up with the brus and with a cheap plastic soccerball while holding that beer and smoking that thing out of the corner of his mouth.
Also, JBay loves a power surfer.
If the waves are big at JBay, his first heat against Barron and small wave aficionado Filipe Toledo will be interesting.
Warm-up sessions:(good idea to subscribe to this channel, it’s a local)
Springboks swap scrums for swings! The boys in green and gold enjoyed a well-deserved break on the fairways of St Francis Links, hosted by Jeff Clause, proving they’re just as competitive with a golf club as they are on the rugby field!
Kouga – Kouga Local Municipality continues to lead the way in digital transformation and service excellence, earning high praise at the prestigious Municipal Innovation Recognition Awards (MIRA).
The municipality achieved an impressive score of 3, topped only by the City of Cape Town with a score of 4.
Out of 51 municipalities who entered, Kouga was one of just 11 to reach this level of excellence, and the only municipality in the Eastern Cape to do so – further cementing its reputation as a trailblazer in innovation and technology.
Organised by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the MIRA Awards celebrate municipalities driving scalable, forward-thinking solutions to enhance service delivery, including water provision, waste management, infrastructure coordination, and citizen engagement.
Kouga Deputy Municipal Manager, Dawie de Jager, praised his team’s dedication and ingenuity: “We have taken a massive information technology leap.
“A significant portion of our innovation is developed internally, allowing us to create tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of our municipality. This includes the design and continual enhancement of advanced, user-focused systems that support efficient service delivery, accountability, and transparency.
“The municipality is proud to be at the forefront of municipal innovation, boasting some of the most sophisticated and effective municipal software systems in the country.
“Furthermore, as a cloud-based organisation, we are boosting our data integrity and availability. Service delivery remains our priority, and staying on the cutting edge of technology enables us to serve our residents better.”
Maalia Rossouw, Kouga Manager Administration & Auxiliary Services, explained that the assessment process involved an extensive online survey and the submission of a detailed portfolio of evidence showcasing the municipality’s innovations.
Among Kouga’s standout technological achievements were:
The Service Delivery Dashboard – a national first, built in Power BI to enhance Customer Care Services through real-time data analytics.
A forward-thinking Document Management System.
The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to improve municipal service delivery.
Live-streamed council meetings, promoting transparency and inspiring other municipalities to follow suit.
Projects in progress include smart water and electricity metering, leak detection systems, suction tanker tracking, and an upgraded Incident Command Centre integrated with advanced GIS technology.
De Jager also highlighted internal innovations such as the development of the municipality’s own HR Intranet and e-learning platforms, supporting staff development and operational efficiency.
Kouga Information and Technology Services Manager, Mbuysile Goduka, reaffirmed Kouga’s commitment to continuous improvement: “We are on the right track. As a growing municipality, we have ample room to innovate, especially in strengthening citizen-facing processes and promoting self-service engagement.”
Rossouw added that Kouga’s next award submission should be a collaborative effort that reflects the full scope of the municipality’s dynamic projects across departments.
Despite limited budgets and a lean structure without a dedicated innovation department, Kouga’s success story stands as a testament to what can be achieved through vision, collaboration, and resourcefulness.
“We face the same procurement and resource challenges as others,” said De Jager, “but we remain committed to building a smart, responsive municipality for all our residents.”
When Roché van Vuuren, a 43-year-old teacher from Humansdorp, felt called by God to donate a kidney, she had no idea her obedience would transform a life.
Guided by unwavering faith, her sacrifice became the second chance that Thornhill teacher, Cameron Goliath, desperately needed in his battle against Stage 5 chronic kidney disease.
The story is deeply personal for Cameron’s father, Eugene Goliath, and Roché’s husband, Denzil van Vuuren. Childhood friends who grew up together in Arcadia, Gqeberha, they later became colleagues at Kouga Local Municipality, where they are both currently employed – and family by marriage.
Thirty-year-old Cameron’s health struggles began in 2022 when gout attacks led to treatment with Puricos. Despite initial success, symptoms worsened, and in September 2023, severe pain and muscle cramps signalled something far more serious. A shocking 274/128 blood pressure reading confirmed acute renal failure, leaving dialysis as his only lifeline.
Then came the hope that would change everything. Roché approached Cameron with a conviction: “God already spoke to me – your kidney is here.” Though he initially dismissed it, her faith never wavered.
Yet Roché insists she is no saviour.
“I am no better than the next person, nor a better believer, or a better Christian,” she said. “I am just an ordinary person with my own faults – one whom the Lord chose to do His work through.”
Journey of Obedience
Her journey of obedience began long before the transplant. She recalls how God tested her willingness through various challenges, from leaving her church to praying for a terminally ill child she had never met.
“In December 2017, God told me to donate a kidney to someone in Humansdorp,” she said.
Driven by urgency, she scoured Facebook for a recipient, finding a young boy in need.
Tragically, he passed away.
But Roché was convinced the kidney belonged to someone else – her colleague’s husband, who was battling advanced kidney failure.
Transplant Journey
The transplant journey was rigorous. Two years of medical tests, specialist consultations, and bureaucratic red tape followed, as non-familial donations required approval through the Department of Health. Doctors marvelled at the 99% crossmatch between Roché and her recipient, questioning whether they were secretly related.
The surgery was set for April 2020. But just days before, it was cancelled – her blood pressure had soared too high.
“I was disappointed, but by now I knew my God. There had to be a reason He stopped this at number 99,” she said.
A few years later, when Cameron’s kidney failure was confirmed, Roché knew – this was it.
“At the coordinator’s office, we discovered that his entire family – mother, father, sister, wife, and brother-in-law – had the same blood type. But each one was ruled out for different medical reasons,” said Roché. “I stood there, the lone survivor, and said to the Lord, ‘Then it will be, Lord.’”
Trust in God
Cameron said throughout this journey, his trust was in God.
“I did not stop praying or look for people to blame. God strengthened me and still does.
“It was incredibly challenging, but I remained positive. I had the best support system anyone could have asked for. My wife cried more than I have, but she stayed by my side. The prayers of my family, friends, colleagues, and congregation were overwhelming.”
After extensive testing and final clearances, the transplant was scheduled for 6 December 2024, at UCT Academic Hospital in Cape Town.
Today, seven months post-surgery, Roché is still recovering, but no longer relies on medication.
“My blood pressure has stabilised. I no longer take any tablets. I can do light exercises, but I avoid heavy lifting now,” she said.
Save a Life
She encourages others to visit the Organ Donor Foundation website and register as donors, emphasising that the impact is life changing.
“You can save a life while you are still alive and well. You can donate a kidney, a piece of your liver (liver regenerates itself again). So many people out there are suffering from sickness, that they did not do to themselves and here we are healthy and able to help, but we do not.
“Somebody asked me: Why are you doing this. I cannot understand, because the Lord gave you two kidneys that means you need two kidneys, doesn’t it? My response was: The Lord gave us two kidneys because He knew although others also have two, they might need one of yours to help them. He gave us two to see if we are willing to help.”
Cameron is Thriving
Cameron, meanwhile, is thriving.
“I spent 17 days in UCT Academic Hospital,” he said.
“Though recovery had its challenges, this transplant has given me a second chance. Compared to dialysis, my health is 100% better – I feel stronger, more energised, and sleep better. My nephrologist monitors my kidney function regularly. I still take anti-rejection medication daily, for life, but I am free from dialysis. Because my immune system is suppressed, I take precautions, including wearing a mask in public.”
Through it all, his faith remained steadfast.
“I never stopped praying. This transplant was God’s plan all along,” he said.
More than a medical miracle, this was a testimony of obedience and divine purpose.
“Aunty Chea (Roché) is family, but she was also chosen by God for this,” Cameron shared. “Her faith saved my life.”
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